Liberty Maven

In what seems to be a rather extensive poll of random doctors there is some sobering news for the current health care reform proposals being pushed on Capitol Hill.

From Investors.com:

As reported Wednesday, 65% of the 1,376 practicing physicians who responded to a mailed questionnaire over the last two weeks said they opposed health care plans that have emerged from the administration and Congress. Just 33% supported them.

Perhaps the most shocking result: 45% of these professionals said they would consider closing their practices or retiring early if the reforms now under consideration were enacted.

The questionnaires were sent out Aug. 28 to 25,600 doctors nationwide. The sample was purchased from a list broker, Lake Group Media of Rye, N.Y. One hundred of those responding were retired, and their answers were not included in the final results.

Our poll also invited those taking part to tell us the reasons why they didn’t like the health care reforms — or, in the minority of cases, why they did. The outpouring of written responses IBD received — about 1,300 in all — was stunning.

Those who support Obama’s health reform proposals like to point out that the AMA supports them, but in the previous article introducing the results of this poll we learn the following:

It says only that the AMA — the “association representing the nation’s physicians” and what “many still regard as the country’s premier lobbying force” — is “lobbying and advertising to win public support for President Obama’s sweeping plan.”

The AMA, in fact, represents approximately 18% of physicians and has been hit with a number of defections by members opposed to the AMA’s support of Democrats’ proposed health care overhaul.

How can Obama and other government health care proponents tell us with straight faces that their proposals would not cause rationing of care, long waiting lists, and higher costs if 45% of America’s doctors will go all Atlas Shrugged on us if it passes?